Patriotic Tunes
Written by Francis Scott Key, it was originally a poem based on his observations of the British attack on Baltimore’s Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.
The Star-Spangled Banner
Which famous U.S. battle has a cemetery that predates the Civil War and is often visited on Memorial Day?
The Battle of Gettysburg; Gettysburg National Cemetery (Gettysburg, PA)
What flower is worn in honor of Memorial Day?
The Poppy
What Vietnam War vet portrayed by Tom Hanks says, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."
Forrest Gump
What year did the War of 1812 occur?
1812!! (Lol! Bonus: What year did it end?)
Though it's most associated with the American Revolutionary War, it was originally sung prior to the revolution by British troops making fun of unorganized and buckskin-wearing “Yankees” who were allied with the British in the French and Indian War (1754-1763).
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Which famous cemetery does each U.S. president visit on Memorial Day?
Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington, VA)
What high military honor is awarded to individuals who have been wounded or lost their lives in service to their country?
The Purple Heart
Which 1986 action film features Tom Cruise as a hotshot pilot attending the Navy's Fighter Weapons School?
Top Gun
Which 1990–1991 war was triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and saw the massive "Desert Storm" air campaign?
The Gulf War
What is the title of the song that enjoys 'official' status as the fanfare reserved exclusively for Presidential appearances?
Hail to The Chief
Which city is recognized as the birthplace of Memorial Day?
Waterloo, NY
Memorial Day was originally established to honor fallen soldiers of which war?
The Civil War
Which 1993 Steven Spielberg masterpiece is about a German industrialist who saved Jewish refugees?
Schindler's List
Which conflict (1861–1865) remains the deadliest war in American history in terms of U.S. military casualties?
The Civil War
Which song was written by Katherine Lee Bates, an English teacher at Wellesley College, following her trip to the top of the 14,110 foot Pikes Peak in the Rockies, Colorado?
America The Beautiful
One of the earliest recorded Memorial Day tribute was organized in this city by a group of formerly enslaved African Americans to honor over 200 Union soldiers buried in a mass grave at a Confederate racetrack, thanking them for their freedom.
Charleston, SC
What other name is Memorial Day known by?
Decoration Day
Which 2017 war film directed by Christopher Nolan documents the daring rescue of Allied soldiers in 1940?
Dunkirk
Which "war" lasted roughly 45 years but never saw direct large-scale fighting between the two primary superpowers involved?
The Cold War
Written by Woodie Guthrie in 1940 and first appeared in print in the folk-song magazine "Sing Out" in 1954, this tune was taken from the gospel hymn "When the World's on Fire" which had been recorded by the Carter Family in 1930.
This Land is Your Land
Often called "The Punchbowl" because it is located inside a 70-thousand-year-old extinct volcanic crater, this historic site honors service members who fought in the Pacific during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Where is the largest Memorial Day parade held in the U.S.?
Washington D.C.
This 2016 film tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a combat medic who refused to carry a weapon. In which battle did his heroic actions take place?
Hacksaw Ridge
Before the 1940s, what was the most common name for the massive global conflict that took place between 1914 and 1918? (WWI)
The Great War